Bachelor's Degree in Kirundi-Kiswahili: Training Educators in Bantu Languages
The IPA's Kirundi-Kiswahili Department offers a three-year Bachelor's degree in Kirundi-Kiswahili. This unique degree prepares future teachers and teaching specialists able to master and teach two interconnected Bantu languages: Kirundi, the mother tongue of Burundi, and Kiswahili, the regional language of communication in East Africa. The programme combines four inseparable pillars: linguistic expertise in Kirundi and Kiswahili (phonetics, grammar, discourse analysis), in-depth knowledge of the oral and written literature of both cultures, the teaching skills to turn this expertise into effective learning, and an understanding of cultural and sociolinguistic contexts.
This is not an abstract programme in linguistic studies. It is practical preparation for teaching Kirundi as a strengthened mother tongue and Kiswahili as a language of regional communication. Students leave the Department not only as specialists in Kirundi and Kiswahili, but as reflective educators able to adapt the teaching of both languages to the Burundian and regional context, and to promote the richness of Bantu cultures.
The Department brings together an intellectual community committed to preserving and passing on Bantu languages. Graduates work as primary and secondary school teachers, teacher trainers and researchers in Bantu sociolinguistics in Burundi.
Programme objectives
- Master Kirundi and Kiswahili: phonetics, grammar, discourse analysis;
- Know the oral and written literature of both languages;
- Acquire the didactic skills to teach Kirundi as a mother tongue and Kiswahili as a regional language of communication;
- Understand the cultural and sociolinguistic contexts of both languages.
How the IPA trains bilingual teaching specialists: a progressive and cultural methodology
Three principles shape the Kirundi-Kiswahili Department and reflect the IPA's teaching approach.
Principle 1: A structured three-year progression — From foundations to teaching mastery
The six semesters, spread over three years, are not an isolated sequence. They form an intentional, steady progression. The first two semesters (year 1) lay the foundations: general linguistics, Kirundi phonetics and phonology, Kiswahili phonetics and phonology, the grammar of both languages, an introduction to Bantu oral literature, and learner psychology. In semesters three and four (year 2), students go deeper: advanced morphology and syntax, discourse analysis, written literature in Kirundi and Kiswahili, an introduction to general pedagogy. In semesters five and six (year 3), the teaching focus intensifies: special didactics of Kirundi and Kiswahili, designing teaching sequences, bilingual teaching strategies, assessment, and teaching placements in real schools under IPA supervision.
This architecture ensures that every student first masters the bilingual content in the first year, then learns how to teach it in the second year, and then practises it intensively in a real context in the third year.
Principle 2: Integrating oral and written literature — Respecting traditions and modernity
The curriculum does not separate mother tongue and regional language. It recognises that Kirundi and Kiswahili are in constant dialogue. Students explore the oral literature (tales, proverbs, poetry) of both cultures, which is essential for passing knowledge between generations. They also study contemporary written literature, the media and modern usage. This approach makes teaching relevant and culturally grounded.
Principle 3: Balancing theory and practice at every stage
Each course combines lectures (linguistic and educational theory), tutorials (analysis of texts in both languages), practical work (classroom experimentation), fieldwork (collecting sociolinguistic data) and reflective work (analysing one's own practice). It is not "theory first". It is a constant integration of theory, practice and cultural awareness.
Structure of the Bachelor's in Kirundi-Kiswahili: a three-year curriculum architecture
The Bachelor's degree in Kirundi-Kiswahili is organised over three years (six semesters) according to the ECTS system. Each semester is worth 30 credits, i.e. 60 credits per year. The teaching load amounts to 450 hours per semester, i.e. 2,700 hours over the three years, divided between lectures (CM), tutorials (TD), practical work (TP), independent student work (TPE), group work (TGE) and fieldwork (field linguistics). At the end of the six semesters, students receive the official Bachelor's degree in Kirundi-Kiswahili recognised by the University of Burundi.
Bilingual foundations
General linguistics, Kirundi phonetics and phonology, Kiswahili phonetics and phonology, basic grammar of both languages, introduction to Bantu oral literature, child and adolescent psychology. Students gain systematic mastery of both languages and an understanding of learner development.
Deeper linguistic knowledge and an introduction to pedagogy
Advanced morphology and syntax in Kirundi and Kiswahili. Discourse analysis. Contemporary written literature. Introduction to the principles of general pedagogy, setting learning objectives, basic strategies. Students recognise the distinction between language mastery and teaching mastery.
Applied bilingual didactics
Students apply teaching principles to the context of teaching Kirundi and Kiswahili. Didactics of first and second languages. Building bilingual teaching sequences. Bilingual assessment of learning.
Supervised practice in a professional setting
75 hours of teaching placements in a partner school. Students observe, teach, receive feedback from supervisors and write a report analysing their bilingual teaching practice.
| BAC I SEMESTER I | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | |||||
| VHT | CM | TD | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE1: Linguistics I | General Linguistics | KSW1101 | 60 | 45 | 15 | 40 | 100 | 4 | |
| African Linguistics | KSW1103 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Introduction to Kiswahili Grammar | KSW1103 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 10 | |||||||||
| UE2: Comprehension and Expression I | Oral Expression Techniques in French | KSW1104 | 45 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Oral Expression in Kiswahili I | KSW1105 | 60 | 15 | 45 | 40 | 100 | 4 | ||
| 7 | |||||||||
| UE3: Literature I | Introduction to Methods of Literary Text Analysis | KSW1106 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Introduction to Rundi Literature | KSW1107 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Traditional African Literatures | KSW1108 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 7 | |||||||||
| UE4: Support Courses I | Introduction to Computing | KSW1109 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| Citizenship Education | KSW1120 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Information Retrieval | KSW1111 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 450H | 30 | |||||||
| BAC I SEMESTER II | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | |||||
| VHt | CM | TD | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE5: Linguistics II | Kiswahili Phonetics and Phonology | KSW1201 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Kirundi Phonetics and Phonology | KSW1202 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| UE6: Comprehension and Expression II | Oral and Written Expression Techniques in Kirundi I | KSW1203 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Written Expression in Kiswahili I | KSW1204 | 45 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| UE7: Literature II | Commentary on Literary Texts in Kirundi I | KSW1205 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Introduction to Swahili Literature | KSW1206 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 6 | ||||||||
| UE8: Societies and Cultures I | General Anthropology | KSW1207 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology of Burundi I | KSW1208 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| UE9: Educational Psychology | Introduction to Psychology | KSW1209 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| Child and Adolescent Psychology | KSW1210 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Psychology of Learning | KSW1211 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 450H | 30 | |||||||
| BAC II SEMESTER III | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | |||||
| VHT | CM | TD | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE1: Linguistics III | Kiswahili Morphology | KSW2301 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Kirundi Morphology | KSW2302 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Kirundi Syntax | KSW2303 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 9 | |||||||||
| UE2: Comprehension and Expression III | Oral and Written Expression Techniques in Kirundi II | KSW2304 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Oral Expression in Kiswahili II | KSW2305 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Translation Theories | KSW2306 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 8 | |||||||||
| UE3: Literature III | Oral Literature in Kiswahili | KSW2307 | 60 | 45 | 15 | 40 | 100 | 4 | |
| Commentary on Literary Texts in Kirundi II | KSW2308 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 7 | |||||||||
| UE4: Societies and Cultures II | Cultural Anthropology of Burundi II | KSW2309 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| General Sociology | KSW2310 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 450H | 30 | |||||||
| BAC II SEMESTER IV | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | |||||
| VHT | CM | TD | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE5: Linguistics IV | Kiswahili Syntax | KSW2401 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 74 | 3 | |
| Kirundi Semantics | KSW2402 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| UE6: Comprehension and Expression IV | Written Expression in Kiswahili II | KSW2403 | 45 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Kirundi-Kiswahili / Kiswahili-Kirundi Translation Exercises I | KSW2404 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Listening Comprehension in Kiswahili I | KSW2405 | 60 | 15 | 45 | 40 | 100 | 4 | ||
| 10 | |||||||||
| UE7: Pedagogy and Didactics | General Pedagogy | KSW2406 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| Setting Learning Objectives | KSW2407 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Teaching and Learning Strategies | KSW2408 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Assessment of Learning | KSW2409 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 8 | |||||||||
| UE8: Support Courses II | TICE | KSW2410 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| English | KSW2411 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 450H | 30 | |||||||
| BAC III SEMESTER V | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | |||||
| VHT | CM | TD | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE1: Linguistics V | Kiswahili Semantics | KSW3501 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| Sociolinguistics | KSW3502 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 5 | |||||||||
| UE2: Comprehension and Expression V | Kiswahili for Specific Purposes | KSW3503 | 60 | 45 | 15 | 40 | 100 | 4 | |
| Oral Expression in Kiswahili III | KSW3504 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Written Expression Techniques in French | KSW3505 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 9 | |||||||||
| UE3: Literature IV | Written Literature in Kiswahili | KSW3506 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Study of Literary Texts in Kiswahili | KSW3507 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||||||||
| UE4: Teacher Ethics and Practice | School Administration and Legislation | KSW3508 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| Teacher Deontology | KSW3509 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Special Didactics of Kirundi | KSW3510 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Special Didactics of Kiswahili | KSW3511 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| 10 | |||||||||
| TOTAL S5 | 450H | 30 | |||||||
| BAC III SEMESTER VI | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | ||||||
| VHP | CM | TD | TP | TPE | TGE | |||||
| UE5: Linguistics VI | Psycholinguistics | KSW3601 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Contrastive Grammar of Kirundi and Kiswahili | KSW3602 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |||
| 5 | ||||||||||
| UE6: Comprehension and Expression VI | Listening Comprehension in Kiswahili II | KSW3603 | 45 | 0 | 45 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Stylistics and Creative Writing in Kirundi | KSW3604 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |||
| Kirundi-Kiswahili / Kiswahili-Kirundi Translation Exercises II | KSW3605 | 45 | 0 | 45 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |||
| 9 | ||||||||||
| UE7: Support Courses | Introduction to Philosophy | KSW3606 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Formal Logic | KSW3607 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |||
| Entrepreneurship | KSW3608 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |||
| 6 | ||||||||||
| UE8: Teaching Practice | Didactics Exercises | KSW3609 | 45 | 0 | 45 | 30 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Teaching Placement | KSW3610 | 75 | 0 | 75 | 50 | 125 | 5 | |||
| Teaching Placement Report | KSW3611 | 30 | 0 | 30 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |||
| 10 | ||||||||||
| TOTAL | 450H | 30 | ||||||||
Where does studying Kirundi-Kiswahili lead? Careers and regional opportunities
Graduates of the Kirundi-Kiswahili Department follow several career paths, often with a regional reach.
Primary and secondary school teacher: Most become teachers of Kirundi or Kiswahili in schools in Burundi and the region. With their IPA training, they are not ordinary teachers. They understand sociolinguistics, can adapt teaching to bilingual contexts, and can train their colleagues.
Teacher trainer and educational coordinator: Some graduates join teacher training programmes, either at the IPA or at other Burundian or regional institutions. Their bilingual expertise makes them valuable for developing suitable curricula and teaching materials.
Researcher in sociolinguistics and Bantu dialectology: After several years of experience, some graduates become coordinators of language teaching programmes at the Ministry of Education or in regional organisations, where they help harmonise the teaching of Bantu languages in East Africa.
Educational coordinator or inspector: After several years of teaching experience, some graduates become school inspectors or educational coordinators at the ministry, where they help improve the quality of Kirundi and Kiswahili teaching nationwide.
Graduates report high job satisfaction: they teach, they preserve and pass on Bantu languages, and their IPA training prepared them to do so effectively.
Admission requirements
To be admitted to the first year of the Bachelor's (BAC 1), applicants must meet the general admission conditions set by the University of Burundi:
- Hold the Burundian State Diploma (State Examination) or a qualification recognised as equivalent;
- Be placed in or admitted to an IPA department through the official admission procedure held each year;
- Submit an application file within the deadlines set by the Directorate of Academic Services.
For the procedure and the programme choice platform, see the Bachelor's Admissions page.